How to unlock the users in Oracle

Usually, we use the SCOTT/tiger account to login to the system after installing the database but that account is locked in the beginning for security reasons. So, if you try to enter using that user, you get the following error:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>sqlplus

SQL*Plus: Release 10.1.0.2.0 – Production on Sun Feb 20 21:15:21 2011

Copyright (c) 1982, 2004, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Enter user-name: SCOTT
Enter password:
ERROR:
ORA-28000: the account is locked

As you see, we get error code 28000. To unlock your accounts, you can use the following method:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>sqlplus /NOLOG

SQL*Plus: Release 10.1.0.2.0 – Production on Sun Feb 20 21:17:20 2011

Copyright (c) 1982, 2004, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

SQL>
SQL>
SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> ALTER USER SCOTT IDENTIFIED BY tiger ACCOUNT UNLOCK;

User altered.

SQL>

So, I can change the password and unlock the user at the same time by a single SQL statement. Some more statements that can be used here are given as under:

Unlock the password

ALTER USER username ACCOUNT UNLOCK;

Lock the password

ALTER USER username ACCOUNT LOCK;

Change the password of an unlocked account

ALTER USER username IDENTIFIED BY password;

Change the password of a locked account

ALTER USER username IDENTIFIED BY password ACCOUNT UNLOCK;

Adnan Khurshid

Adnan Khurshid, the author of this article, has been working in a telecommunication sector since 2007. He has worked there as a VAS (Value Added Services) engineer and has excelled remarkably in the field. Working in this field has been his passion and he has always made efforts to keep himself up to date. Find more about him on LinkedIn

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Tags: sqlplus /NOLOG, unlock oracle account